This invention relates to the labels, specifically RFID or smart labels.
Printers use a combination of heat and pressure to create an image on non-impact media (direct thermal or thermal transfer). The label surface is required to be smooth and uniform. Using standard paper and film materials for the construction of a smart-label (a label with an RFID transponder inserted in it) results in a non-uniform surface profile. The transponder circuit (IC chip and antenna) may leave a "ghost pattern" in the image when the label is printed. This pattern can be severe enough to leave print voids or changes in image density that would effect text readability or bar code scanning. This variation in image quality limits where the transponder can be placed in the label stock because it ultimately effects the quality of the bar code image resulting in scanning problems. To avoid this the printer would have to know the exact location of the transponder prior to printing, then print around it.
Furthermore, when a normal label construction is used for a smart label application, the transponder can be detected quite easily by noticing the change in the label profile in the location of the transponder. For some applications, the detection of the transponder is not desirable (security, anti-counterfeiting, etc.). The present invention addresses these problems.